Mr Farrell kept to his determination to see none of his visitors until he was able to come downstairs, but he sent a message by James, to the effect that he would be annoyed if his indisposition were allowed to interfere in any way with social engagements.  Therefore, dinner-parties being the order of the day, the four young people feasted abroad every evening, and spent the afternoons at various tennis and croquet parties instituted in their honour.

The rush of gaiety was in full swing, and the list of invitations which ought to be accepted stretched so far ahead that it seemed as if there would be little time left in which to entertain in return.  In earlier days the girls had delighted to discuss gorgeous and bizarre ideas, smacking more of the Arabian Nights than of an English country house, by the execution of which they hoped to electrify the county and prove their own skill as hostesses; but of late these schemes had been unmentioned.  Ruth was too much crushed by her disappointment to have spirit for frivolities, and the shadow of the universal depression at home, as well as at the Court, cast its shadow over Mollie also.

In a half-hearted way both girls were glad of the engagements which prevented tete-a-têtes, which had grown difficult and embarrassing, yet with the unreasonableness of her sex Ruth felt doubly hurt to realise that Victor shared in her relief.  She had expected to have difficulty in avoiding him, and to hear reproaches for her coldness, but neither expectation was fulfilled.

“I suppose he thinks that he has made things safe with me by that last conversation, and can afford to take a little holiday and enjoy himself.  He does not want to compromise himself too far!” Ruth told herself, with a touch of bitterness which had developed during the last few days.

She knew that Victor’s long absences in the morning were spent in trying to waylay Lady Margot in her walks and drives, and had the best authority for knowing him to have been successful more than once, for Margot had been present at one of the dinner-parties and had seized an opportunity to have a quiet word.

“I have met Mr Druce twice this week.  I could have avoided him by staying in the grounds, but I do not wish to rouse his suspicions.  He won’t risk anything definite until matters are decided between you and Mr Farrell, and then he shall learn his lesson.  From which of us he learns it, it does not matter.  In the meantime, I shall make no change, and he can come and go as he sees fit.”

“You must be very-very sure of yourself!” said Ruth wistfully; at which Margot reared her little head with a haughty gesture.

“Absolutely sure!  If he had dared to ask me six months ago, I might have given up everything to be the wife of the imaginary Victor, but now I will not alter the slightest plan out of consideration for the real Mr Druce.  I can trust myself; but,”-she turned a grave, direct gaze on the other’s face-“can you trust me, Ruth?  I don’t concern myself about appearances, so it is possible you may hear rumours which may not seem in keeping with our agreement.  Can you trust me enough to believe that, however strange things may seem, I am really considering your interests even more than my own?”

“I think I can-oh yes, I am sure I can!” replied Ruth hesitatingly.

But even as she spoke a doubt crept up in her mind.  If Victor did, indeed, become the owner of the Court, and remained persistent in his wooing, could Margot withstand him?  She had loved him once.  Would not the old feeling revive, and prove too strong for argument?  It was Ruth’s nature to distract herself with doubts and fears, and the little conversation did not help to raise her spirits.

On the fifth morning after Mr Farrell’s seizure he came downstairs to his study, and was reported by the doctor to be in fairly good health.  He did not appear at luncheon, however, and there was something darkly mysterious about James’s manner when he came into the dining-room when the meal was nearly over to announce that his master wished to see the young ladies, with Mr Druce and Mr Melland, in the library at five o’clock.

“And me-surely he wishes to see me also!” Mrs Wolff cried, in an injured tone.

But James only bowed, and repeated inflexibly-

“Only the young ladies and gentlemen, ma’am.  I understand that he wishes to see them on business.”

Business!  That word was enough to keep five minds working busily during the hours between luncheon and the time appointed for the interview.  Had Uncle Bernard come to some definite conclusion during those quiet days upstairs?  Was the period of probation over, or did the summons simply imply some new and eccentric phase of the old routine?

Conjecture ran riot; but at the first sight of the old man’s face all pleasant expectations died a sudden death, for it was fixed in a stern, unbending anger, such as his guests had never seen before.  Hardly replying to their congratulations and inquiries, he motioned them impatiently to the seats ranged in readiness facing his chair, exactly as they had been on that first important interview five weeks before.  Only five weeks, thirty-five short days, yet each of the squire’s guests felt as if a lifetime of experience yawned between that day and this!

“I have sent for you, as it is necessary to speak on an unpleasant topic, which, however, cannot be avoided,” Mr Farrell began.  “It is painful for me to open it, especially as I am urged to avoid excitement; but I have no alternative.  You may remember that shortly before I was taken ill, I referred to the draft of my will which was lying in this desk.”  He stretched out his hand, and laid it on the polished surface.  “It was kept here with other important papers, arranged in a special manner, which I have adopted for years, partly for the sake of neatness, partly to ensure them against interference, for it is impossible that they should be touched without my knowledge.  This morning, on coming downstairs, my first task was to add some memoranda to one of these papers.  I opened the desk, and discovered at once that my will had been opened and read-”

He stared grimly across the room, and four flushed, bewildered faces stared back at him.  The silence lasted for several moments; then Jack spoke in his haughtiest and most intolerant tone-

“You do not, of course, wish to imply, sir, that you suspect us of having any hand in the matter?  I presume you want our help in unravelling the mystery?  My own detective powers are not of a high order; but if you will explain your system-”

Mr Farrell interrupted him with a raised hand.

“Thank you, I prefer to make my own inquiries.  As I said before, it is a disagreeable duty; but when a duty is forced upon one, the best course is to perform it in the most strict and business-like manner possible.  You are the people most concerned in my will, the people who would naturally feel most interest and curiosity in seeing it; therefore, apart from sentimental considerations, on you the first suspicion must fall, and it is right that I should question you before outsiders.”

Jack’s eyes flashed.  He rose from his chair and limped across the floor, as if unable to keep still.

“I am afraid it will be of little use.  If a fellow is sweep enough to pry into another man’s secrets, he is equal to lying about it into the bargain, and in that case you have no chance in finding out the truth.  You have been upstairs for five days.  It is impossible to account for all that may have happened during that time.”

“I have been upstairs five days, as you say, but it happens that I can reduce the time to a much narrower limit.  On the evening after I was taken ill, it occurred to me that I had not locked my desk the night before, as I expected to return to the library as usual after dinner.  I sent James downstairs to make sure.  He found it open, locked it, and brought me back the key.  The lock is a patent one, and has not been tampered with, therefore whoever examined the will must have done so on Wednesday morning or afternoon.”

Victor looked up quickly.

“You allowed your man to lock it, you trusted him with the key?”

“Certainly.  He has been twenty years in my service, and knows exactly what provision I have made for his future.  He will not need to work after my death, and has no personal interest in my will.  Moreover, I trust him as I would myself.”

Mr Farrell spoke sharply, evidently annoyed that any doubt should be cast upon his favourite.  As he finished his eyes met Mollie’s fixed upon him with an angry challenge, to which he was not slow to respond-

“Well, what have you to say, young lady?  Can you throw any light on this mystery?”

“I have not opened your desk and pried among your papers, if you really mean to ask me such a question.  I have lots of faults, but I’ve never been suspected of anything so mean as that, and I don’t care to stay in a house where anyone can believe it possible!  I don’t want to see the horrid old will!  We should all have been content and happy if it had not been for the thought of it; and I never want to hear it mentioned again.  I don’t know how you dare insult us so, Uncle Bernard!”

“That will do, Mollie; you have given me your answer.  There is no need to get excited.  You had better go back to the drawing-room while I speak to your companions.”

The squire leant back in his chair, waiting for her to go; and, willing or unwilling, there was no defying that grim silence.  Mollie marched across the floor with defiant tread, opened the door, and closed it behind her with a bang, so expressive of temper that Jack could not resist a smile.  It vanished quickly enough, however, as he listened to Mr Farrell’s next words-

“I must ask you to tell me in so many words whether you know anything of this matter.  If a sudden access of curiosity should have proved too strong for resistance, a candid confession would be the best means of obtaining forgiveness.  I could overlook anything better than deceit.”  He looked at the three young faces before him with a scrutiny that had something pathetic in its earnestness; but, as it met with no response, his expression hardened.  “Perhaps you would be good enough to tell me, in the first place, whether any of you were in the library on Wednesday?”

He looked at Victor as he spoke, and the dark eyes met his without a moment’s hesitation.

“I went out for a long walk immediately after breakfast, and returned when luncheon was on the table.  Afterwards Melland and I smoked on the terrace until it was time to drive over to a tennis-tea.  I forget which house it was held at, but I remember we heard that the carriage was at the door, and had to rush for it.  That was so, wasn’t it, Melland?  I think I should have little difficulty in proving an alibi for the whole day.”

Mr Farrell hesitated for a minute, then turned towards Jack.

“And you, Melland?”

“Oh, I was about the house!  I don’t remember going into the library, but I might have done so half a dozen times, and forgotten all about it.  You gave me permission to borrow books as I chose, and I have been constantly in and out.  I could not undertake to say positively what I did on any particular day.”

“Ruth?”

Ruth lifted a miserable face, and shot a glance across the room.  There was none of Mollie’s righteous indignation in that glance, only a nervous shrinking which amounted almost to fear.

“I-I was in the library, Uncle Bernard!  I photographed it several times that morning.  It seemed a good opportunity, as you were upstairs, and I wanted the room for my collection.”

“You were photographing.  That means that you would be some little time alone in the room?”

“Yes-no; I came and went.  Not so very long,” stammered Ruth hesitatingly.  It was terrible to be cross-examined like this, with the eyes of the three men fixed upon her, grave and questioning.  She looked wistfully at the door, and half rose from her seat.  “I know nothing-I did nothing!  I can tell you nothing more!  May I go now?  There is no use staying any longer.”

“One moment, please!  You all deny having touched the will, and I shall, of course, accept your word; but you must help to find the real culprit by giving me every clue in your power.  Was any reference made to the will in your presence?  Has anyone, for instance, expressed curiosity respecting it and its contents?”

Victor’s eyes turned to Ruth with a glance which brought the colour rushing into her cheek.  He did not speak, but his expression was too eloquent to be misread.  The old man looked keenly from one to the other, and his voice took an added sharpness as he spoke-

“Well, Druce, out with it-out with it!  What is it that you have to say?”

“Nothing, sir-nothing worth repeating.  Your question reminded me of a chance remark; but I would rather say no more about it.”

“You have said too much already.  Pray go on, since you have begun!” cried Ruth, with a sudden blaze of anger.  Her small head was thrown back with a defiant gesture, and the Farrell eyebrows met in a straight black line across her brow. “I spoke of your will, Uncle Bernard-I said I wished that I could see it.  I did want to see it!  It was impossible to know that it was lying there, and not feel curious.”

“Of course it was.  We were all curious, but some of us had not the honesty to confess it,” Jack cried quickly.  “Surely it is not necessary to keep Miss Ruth any longer, sir?  She has told you that she can give you no more information.  It is cruel to the girl-” He broke off as if afraid of speaking too strongly; and Mr Farrell lay back in his chair with a sudden weary slackening of muscle.

“Yes, yes, she may go; you may all go!  We can prove nothing at present; but time will show-time will show!” And he raised his hand with a gesture of dismissal.

Ruth and Victor rose and hurriedly left the room only Jack stood his ground, nervously tugging at his moustache.  He had something to say, and was determined to say it, but the sight of the old man’s figure in its physical and mental depression turned his anger into commiseration.  It was in almost an apologetic voice that he broke the silence.

“I stayed because I wanted to have five minutes’ quiet talk with you, sir.  My ankle is now practically well, and I am anxious to return to town.  Please don’t think I am unappreciative of your kindness in wishing me to stay, but as I said before I have no wish to be considered as a candidate for your fortune.  It is owing to my accident that I have remained so long, and not to any change of mind.  I hear from my partner that the business is suffering from my absence, and we have had such a struggle to work it up to its present condition, that you can understand I am in a fever to get back.”

Contrary to his expectation Mr Farrell showed no sign either of surprise or anger.  Perhaps he had been expecting the announcement as a result of convalescence, perhaps he was simply too weary to feel any strong interest in passing events.  In any case, his face scarcely changed in expression, as he replied-

“After five weeks’ visit to the Court you still keep to your original opinion, that the chance of possessing it is not worth a little inconvenience, or even monetary loss?”

Jack pursed his lips with an impatient dissent.

“Oh, the Court is beautiful-an ideal place in every respect.  I would go through a good deal to earn it-in a straightforward fashion.  What I object to is the mystery, and the idleness, and the feeling of competition.  You have every right to manage your own affairs in your own way, sir, but you must allow me the same privilege.  You must have found out by this time that I have a large amount of obstinacy in my composition.  I have made up my mind that for every reason it is my duty to return to town.”

“You have calculated, of course, that even if your business succeeds to an extraordinary extent, you are never likely to make anything like as much money as will come to my heir?”

“I have always heard that you are enormously wealthy.  You are probably quite right; but,”-Jack paused in front of the lounge-chair and looked down at the shrunken figure from the height of six-foot-one,-“looking back on your own life, sir, has your greatest happiness come from the amount of your possessions?  Has it increased as they increased?  Can you honestly advise me as a young man to sacrifice everything for money?”

There was silence for several minutes, while Mr Farrell winced and shrank within himself, as if the words had touched a hidden sore.  He never referred to his own domestic life; but it was well-known that for years it had been one of ideal happiness, and that with the loss of wife and son, his real life had closed for ever.  He avoided a direct reply to Jack’s question by asking another in return.

“There are other things which many men consider more important.  I have sometimes imagined that you would agree with them.  Have you reflected that in returning to town you may be leaving behind even more than land or fortune, and thereby losing a dearer chance of happiness!”

The blood rushed into Jack’s face.  He could not affect to misunderstand the drift of the old man’s words, but to acknowledge their truth was impossible, and the orthodox protests seemed to come of their own accord.

“What do you mean?  What am I leaving?  I hardly understand...”

Mr Farrell laughed shortly.

“Young people seem to imagine that their elders cannot see what is happening under their eyes.  I have watched you and Mollie, and thought that there might possibly be an interesting denouement to your friendship.  She has faults, but she has a kind heart and would make a good wife.”

Jack’s face stiffened.

“Hadn’t we better keep her name out of the discussion, sir?  I have the greatest respect and admiration for both your nieces, but, as far as anything further is concerned, I am not in a position to think of marriage.  It may be years before I can keep a house, and I would never tie down a girl indefinitely.”

“In this instance it might happen that the girl had a house of her own!  Did it never strike you that you would be doubling your chances if you linked them together?”

“I am not a fool, sir!  Of course I realised as much from the first, and have wondered if it was part of your scheme.  My idea of marriage, however, is to be able to keep my wife, not to accept support.  It may be a weakness in my nature, which makes me wish to be head of my own household; but weakness or not, there it is, and I can’t get rid of it.  It would be detestable to me to marry an heiress, and if I were a girl I should despise a man who was content to live on his wife’s money.”

“Just so-just so!  Very praiseworthy sentiments, no doubt; but I should have been glad to know that the child had a protector.  The stepfather is a broken reed, and the mother is a child herself; however, you place your pride and your prejudice first, and that’s the end of the business.  You will go back to town, she to the North-a very effectual separation!”

He shrugged his shoulders expressively; but Jack’s eyes gave out a sudden flash, he straightened himself, and cried eagerly-

“There are trains, there are boats-if it comes to that, it is only two hundred miles.  If she were in trouble, one could walk!  It would make no difference if the woman one wanted were at the end of the world-one would get to her somehow when the hour arrived!  Difficulty is an inspiration, sir, when one is young!”

“Yes, yes; when one is young-when one is young!” The smile which had lightened the old man’s face died away at the sound of those last words.  He raised his hand and pushed the thin locks from his brow.  “Well, it is your own life-you must live it in your own way!  I cannot benefit you against your will.  If your mind is made up I have no strength to argue the point.  You had better arrange to leave to-morrow afternoon, and give instructions to that effect to the servants.”

Jack’s start of surprise was entirely disagreeable.  He had not expected to be dismissed in this summary fashion, and the thought of so speedy a break with the new life came upon him with a positive shock.  To-morrow!  To-morrow, then, at this very hour he would be back in the dingy lodgings which did duty for home, preparing to sit down to a solitary meal, to spend a solitary evening, to sleep and wake up to a day’s work in the stifling City, where the thought of green fields and rose-gardens, and wide, stretching lawns would seem as unreal as a dream.  A weight of depression settled on him, as he exclaimed-

“To-morrow!  But-unless you wish it, there is no hurry-I could wait until the end of the week.  If I left on Saturday, I could still begin work on Monday.”

“For what object?  Since you have decided not to remain, it is better for all reasons that you should return at once.  You have put your work before everything else-then why delay in getting back to it?  For my own part, since you refuse to consent to my conditions, it would simplify matters if you returned at once.  The position is difficult, and my strength is rapidly failing.  I should have been glad if you had consented to grant me these few weeks out of your life, but, since it is not to be, I prefer to finish the matter once for all.”  He held out his hand as he spoke.  “Good-bye, Melland-my best wishes!  I shall not see you in the morning!”

Jack took the proffered hand, and held it in silence, his face a study of perplexity and remorse.  An Englishman hates to express his emotions, but to a generous nature the sting of ungratefulness is even more abhorrent.  At that moment it seemed a little thing to spare a few months of strong, young life to gratify the whim of a dying man.  Jack’s heart reproached him, and he spoke in eager accents.

“If I could be a help to you, sir-if I felt that my presence gave you pleasure or comfort, I would stay willingly as long as you wished; but you have kept so much apart, that there has been no opportunity-”

Mr Farrell disengaged his hand, and turned aside with a wearied air.

“Good-bye, Melland!” he repeated.  “I wish you a pleasant journey!”

So far as any change of voice or manner was concerned, he might not have heard the young man’s protest.  Jack turned away, miserable and abashed.  It was the last time he ever saw Bernard Farrell alive.